From the Bride... Eric and I first met in college, at UC Santa Barbara, some seven plus years ago. We had just received our midterm exam scores back and as I walked out of the lecture hall, my friend Andy waved at me. I walked over towards him and we began sharing our scores. Andy briefly introduced me to his friend Eric, who received an almost perfect score. Andy then asked me what I scored, and I had to share that I got a 265, which meant a perfect score plus the extra credit (I know, super nerdy). Until this day, Eric would joke about how proud I was to share my score, but I always denied that. We continued to run into each other in college. We had a few courses together and were neighbors in the same apartment complex during our junior and senior years. Despite our regular encounters, we never went out. It wasn’t until after college when we started our careers at the same company that Eric asked me out. We went to Disneyland together for our first date. I still can’t believe we spent 10 plus hours there! Fast forward four years after Disneyland, Eric dropped to one knee right in front of the tulip exhibit at the Broad Museum. He even arranged to have some of my favorite people rush out to surprise me, including my parents, my brother, my closest girlfriends, and even my cousin from Canada. A year after that, we got hitched at one of the most beautiful venues in SoCal!

As I began planning for our special day, I envisioned a romantic and chic wedding that would stand the test of time. I wanted the look to be soft and organic but yet classy. I was inspired by foliage and greenery so I wanted to use plenty of it! I thought that a romantic ivory and dusty rose palette would best be complemented by vintage gold and glass accents. I was hoping the result would be a look that is both modern and vintage (even though that seems contradictory). Nonetheless, we loved how everything turned out. There’s no feeling that can compare to seeing it all come to life! The day was just so awesome. The weather was perfect. The sky was clear, the ocean was blue, and everyone we loved was gathered in one place. One of the most memorable things would have to be how much Eric cried during the ceremony. From the moment I walked down the aisle to the very end of the ceremony. He couldn’t stop crying and barely got through his personal vows. Eric is not an extremely expressive person, so to see that much outward emotion from him was something that no one could’ve ever imagined (including myself!). Everyone was sobbing thanks to him.

The planning process was a lot of fun for me because I’m more of a DIY bride. I planned and designed the wedding myself. I even learned modern calligraphy for the invitation addressing and table numbers. My humble advice for the really hands-on bride/couple is that you must try to carve out tasks that don’t require your personal touch. Take some quiet moments to figure out which simple and easy tasks you can assign to your bridesmaids, your fiance/fiancee, or your family and friends. The more you can delegate, the better you’ll feel and the more time you can spend on the details that really beg your attention. Everyone around you is eager, and more than happy, to pitch in. You’re not alone, they all love you and want to help reduce your stress! All in all, have so much fun at your wedding. Let go of small hiccups and don’t dwell on any missed details. At the end of the day, you’re marrying the love of your life in front every person you cherish. Nothing can beat that. Best wishes to everyone that’s getting hitched!